South Korean Wildfires Kill 16, 19 Injured in Drought Conditions

Seoul : At least 16 individuals have been killed and 19 injured as wildfires continue burning South Korea’s southern provinces, encouraged by dry conditions and gusty winds. Government officials said various fires consumed more than 43,000 acres of land, burning hundreds of buildings, including a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple. In Andong city and nearby towns, authorities conducted large scale evacuations as firefighters struggled to contain the fires.

Over 5,500 individuals have had to flee their homes in Andong, Uiseong, Sancheong, and Ulsan, the regions worst affected by the fires. Although the efforts of almost 9,000 firefighters, assisted by more than 130 helicopters and hundreds of trucks, the constant dry spell has facilitated the spreading of the fires. The officials confirmed that Uiseong’s fire burned down Gounsa Temple, which is a 7th-century historical site, though some of the national treasures were evacuated successfully.

At least five active fires were being addressed by the Korea Forest Service as of Wednesday. Authorities have upgraded the wildfire alert to its most severe “serious” level and cautioned that some of the fires could have been ignited by human mistake, including sparks from welding or fire for land clearing. The fires have already resulted in major casualties, including the deaths of four firefighters this week, and the government is ramping up efforts to bring the destruction under control.